Geranium plant named ‘Fidanol Red’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Fidanol Red’, characterized by its upright and slightly outwardly spreading growth habit; mounding and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; dark red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fidanol Red’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Fidanol Red’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely-branching andfreely-flowering Ivy Geranium cultivars that flower early and haveattractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietaryselections of Pelargonium peltatum, not patented. The cultivar FidanolRed was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plantfrom within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Ivy Geranium by vegetative terminalcuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, TheNetherlands, since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this newIvy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Fidanol Red has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature,daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fidanol Red’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Fidanol Red’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofIvy Geranium:

-   -   1. Upright and slightly outwardly spreading growth habit;        mounding and rounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Dark red-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of theparent selections in plant size and uniformity as plants of the newGeranium are more compact and more uniform than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of Pelargoniumpeltatum ‘Meririco’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,245. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of ‘Meririco’ primarily inflower color as plants of the new Ivy Geranium have darker red-coloredflowers than plants of ‘Meririco’. In addition, plants of the new IvyGeranium were more compact than plants of ‘Meririco’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Ivy Geranium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Fidanol Red’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands in aglass-covered greenhouse during the autumn and winter and underconditions which closely approximate commercial production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 16° C.and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 14° C. Plants were eightweeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In thedetailed description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum ‘Fidanol Red’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium peltatum, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium peltatum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at            temperatures of 22° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at            temperatures of 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 days            at temperatures of 22° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 days            at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey            in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading growth            habit; rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit; with            development, trailing; densely foliated.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous to vigorous            growth habit. Freely basal branching habit with about ten            lateral branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 12 cm to 20 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 5 cm to 18 cm. Diameter:            About 3 mm to 6 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 6 cm.            Texture: Pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:            Close to 144C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.        -   Length.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.        -   Width.—About 5 cm to 10 cm.        -   Shape.—Orbicular.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Crenate; slightly undulate.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescent.        -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully            developed, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to            143D. Fully developed, lower surface: Between 137C and 138A;            venation, close to 143D. Zonation pattern: Faint, close to            177A in color.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 143C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Semi-double rotate flowers arranged in            rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils.            Umbels displayed above the foliage on strong peduncles.            Flowers face upright to outward. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about ten            umbels develop per plant, each umbel each with about 10 to            30 flowers.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            an outdoor nursery in De Lier, The Netherlands, flowering is            continuous from late spring until frost in the autumn.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to 14            days on the plant. Flowers persistent.        -   Umbel height.—About 4 cm to 7 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 4 cm to 9 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About 3            mm to 6 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptical. Color: Close to 143C.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five to 20. Length: About            2 cm to 3.5 cm. Width: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 46A.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 45A. Fully opened,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 45A; color becoming            closer to 53A with development.        -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: Typically one to 15. Length:            About 1 mm to 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm to 9 mm. Shape:            Irregularly shaped; narrowly obovate to irregularly            oblanceolate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 46A.            Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 45A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single            whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,            immature, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. Color,            mature, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 8 cm to 15 cm.            Diameter: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Strength: Moderately strong.            Angle: Erect to about 30° C. from vertical. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 cm to            3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm to 15 mm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Angle: Erect to about 90° C. from vertical. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About one to eight. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament            color: Close to 155A. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 183A to 183B. Pollen            amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 172C. Gynoecium:            Pistil quantity per flower: About ten to 15. Pistil length:            About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering; reflexed. Stigma color:            Close to 50C. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close            to 27B. Ovary color: Close to 141C.        -   Seed.—Seed development has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy    Geraniums.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been    observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about    0° C. to about 45° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance.

1. A new and distinct Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Fidanol Red’ as illustrated and described. 